


Nightmares

by razgaz



Category: Original Work
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Ghost Hunters, Monster Hunters, POV Alternating, POV First Person, POV Multiple, Secret Organizations, Tarot, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:35:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29019075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/razgaz/pseuds/razgaz
Summary: Shadows that lurk in the dark the fool that brings things to light.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story that I actually started writing and developing over 10 years ago, but I lost motivation and forgot about it for a long time. In the past couple years I've been looking back on the projects I was passionate about and deciding if they were something I wanted to pick up again. 
> 
> I really want to write this story and maybe even one day have it published as a novel series or a graphic novel, how I pictured it when I was 13 and created these characters.
> 
> For now, I figured I'd publish it here, without a beat reader or anything, and if anyone reads it I hope that they would leave a comment and leave me feedback. Even just that you did or didn't like something about it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV The Chariot

The higher-ups sent me on a collection mission. Don't know exactly what I'm supposed to be collecting, but must be something important. I know I'm one of the best they have. I don't question things. I’m fast and efficient. I got the job done, that's all that matters. Anyway, they sent me to this run-down building. Probably was an apartment or something like that. Not exactly the best part of town. Seems like this whole place is abandoned. Half-past 12 and not a soul in sight. _Might as well go in._

As I walk up a rusty set of stairs I know that normally they’d be creaking like crazy but I walk up completely silent. _Ah, there it is._ I can feel them starting to creep in. I better hurry and find whatever the higher-ups sent me for before they get to it first. I walk a little more determinately.

Once I get to the top floor I can sense it. The Shadows start to get deeper and I walk a little faster. I finally reach the door at the end of the hall. I can sense it inside. This close I know what it is. _Sigh. Well, I guess we got another one joining up. But why send me for this? All right, enough putting it off._ I steel myself and swing the door open. There's nothing much here. Before me is an empty apartment long abandoned. Torn up carpet, stained with who knows what, same with the couch. Judging by the table, there probably used to be a TV here. Well, not anymore. Slowly circling around the room I know it's here. I'm thinking and before I take another step I stop. Looking to my left, a wardrobe. It's barely audible but I hear a shift shifting. _Gotcha._ I take one step back and open it.

_What._

Inside, curled up into a ball, obviously trying to make itself as small as possible is a person. No. A child. I can see this kid has the most unkempt hair I’ve ever seen. The clothes don't look much better. A pair of ratty knee-length shorts and a threadbare long-sleeved t-shirt. Neither of us move or say a word, seemingly in some sort of stand off to see who will speak and acknowledge the other first. Its hands are wrapped around its knees and I see it tighten it’s scrawny little hands into fists, thumb tucked under its fingers. _All right, that's enough of this._

 _*Knock knock*_. I casually knock on the inside of the wardrobe door twice. "All right that's enough of this." No response. "All right kid, I said that's enough. Let's go." I repeat with a bit more force.

The figure slowly raises its head and through a curtain of dark scraggly hair I see its gaunt face. Can't even tell the thing’s a boy or a girl. _Well, guess it doesn't matter... What's with that stupid confused look on its face?_ For a second I think I see a sparkle in its eye, a hint of a challenge. _I've_ really _had enough of this already._ I swiftly reach out and grab its left arm and pull it up. I can see the face make the rapid shift from lost to shocked to fear. It tries to resist and starts making weak whining growling sounds. It’s acting like an animal caught in a trap.

I ignore its protests and continue pulling. It can't really put up much resistance but boy is it trying. I feel bad for whoever is going to have to deal with this one. It's always the worst when they're new but I can't remember ever being like this. _Pathetic. I can't tell if it's because it’s so malnourished or what... I also can't remember ever seeing one this young... Just great. Another complication._

When I finally have it out of the wardrobe and standing, still restlessly trying to break from my grip, childishly using its other hand to try to push mine off its wrist. _Better hurry this up before it tries to bite me or something._ That's when I hear them. _Dammit. Took too long._

The Shadows that were building in the corners of the room suddenly start to rise up and take on solid shapes. If you tried to ask me what those shapes were, I couldn't tell you. All I know is that they're no joke and if you’re human and you ever see one, you should just run. It probably won’t do you much good by then, but you won’t have much chance of seeing the sun rise again any other way.

I really don't want to have to deal with one right now, let alone multiple, while also dealing with this thing. _Right._ The pulling has stopped and looking down I see that it sees it too. It’s frozen in place, staring at them with a look of fear on its face, breathing hard. _Well, there's really no question about it now. This one is one of us._ I pull it in towards me by its wrist that I've been grasping this entire time and raise my arm up by my elbow up over its head and around it, pulling it in against my side. With my left hand I reach up back behind my head and grasp the hilt of my sword. It unsheathes with a clear sound and the blade glimmers in the moonlight. The Shadows feel the shift in the air and their disposition becomes almost agitated, if you could call it that. Within a split second they pounce on us. _Come get it._

I swing my sword out in front of us, clearing the path to the door out to the hall. The moment my sword makes contact, it rips through them and the pieces dissolve into nothing. Holding the little thing against my side, I brace and lift it up so its feet are no longer touching the ground and start my sprint. Running down the hallway and stairs, more of them coalesce and rise up. _Disgusting._ I cut through them, none of them giving more resistance then cheap cloth, but they just keep coming. I feel a squeeze against my abdomen and quickly glancing down I see it hanging on to me for dear life. _Ironic._ Finally getting to street level, I rush out the front door. _None out here. Perfect. Seems like they're contained to this one building._

Spinning around to face the structure I quickly sheath my sword and bring my newly freed hand to my face. Having done this a thousand times I no longer have to think about the positioning. Middle and index finger up against my lips, the rest folded in. I say the chant under my breath and swiftly bring my arm down straight in front of me, pointing my two fingers towards the door I had just exited from. Quick as all get-out the door slams shut and a silvery barrier coats the building corner-to-corner. For a split second there's complete silence. Then, in the next breath it moves almost as if it was being sucked inwards. I sense it reach the center-point of the building right as I hear the chime of bells. _There. All clean._ That done with I look down again. _Now to get this one out of my hair._ Making the same gesture with my hand I move it slowly vertically in the air in front of me and accompanied by the sound of a zipper a black, empty doorway opens up. The thing in my arm starts up the squirming again, desperately trying to break free.

I step through.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV the child

I'm in a room. I'm scared. I'm confused. Why am I here? Why did he take me here? What were those things? He opened up a door in the air and then it was dark and now I'm in this place. He just stepped out of that black hole and then just threw me in here! What was it that he said before he left? "Take a chill pill"? I don't even know what that  _ means _ . It's bigger than where I was before. There's a bed. And a blanket. This place looks so  _ clean _ . The walls are white, and so are the floors! But I'm still trapped in here.  _ Stuck. _ The door is locked. I hate this. I already checked three times and it won't open. Next time I see him I'm gonna kick him in the shins. See how he likes  _ that _ ! That'll show him, grabbing people, pulling them around with scary mist monsters. At least the bed is soft. How long are they going to leave me in here? How long was I in  _ there _ ? I don't even know anymore. I'm so  _ confused _ . Am I supposed to sleep in here? I'm not tired. When are they gonna come back for me? When are they coming back for me? Come back for me. I'm… _ Click _ . He came back! A head pops through the door. Oh. It's not him, but this lady looks just as mean. 

Her dark black hair is in a ball at the back of her neck and she's wearing those glasses that are all clear and don't have the colored parts around the edges. She's wearing all white. Why is everything here so white? she looks mad. "... and will get you presentable." Oh! She was talking to me! What was she saying? The door is open. I can see a space between her legs in the door, maybe if I'm fast enough… 

"Oh, no you don't. " the lady says before I can finish the thought.

"Even if you run, you won't get far. So let's go, I have things to do." She stares at me like she's expecting something but she just told me not to run so what’s she expecting? Am I supposed to say something back? What should I say? Just as I'm trying to think of a good question she interrupts me. 

"Well? Let's go! I don't have all day and you are filthy.  _ Sigh. _ If you're good, and don't run off, and do what you're told, you might get a treat when we're finished." I feel like she's lying. I also don't want to be in here anymore. I crawl down off the bed and move towards her. Slow though. I don’t want her to grab me. When I get close she grabs my arm. What's with everyone grabbing me?! And she jerks me ahead as she starts walking forcing me to almost run so that my arm doesn't get pulled off.

I look around as we go and all the halls are white, too. There are some doors to rooms that we don't go in. I look up at the lady but she's just looking ahead with that mad look on her face. Hmph. We just keep walking, well, I'm running, and I start to think about what happened earlier again. There were those things. Those mist monsters. Where did they come from? I feel like I've seen them before but I can't remember. What do I remember? It was dark. And... it was... small. And it was quiet. For a long time. And then I heard someone and they opened the door and then they talked to me and then they grabbed and pulled me. And then those things showed up! No! What happened before that?.. It was dark and I felt scared before I even saw them. Why was I scared before I saw them? I was scared of him. No. That's wrong. I mean, I was scared, but it was a different scared. This felt different. And then... the shadows... That was it! they came from the shadows! 

Just as I had what felt like a realization my arm was jerked. Looking up I saw the lady had frozen still. Ah, I guess I jerked my own arm that time.  _ Hehe. _ But now we're in front of another door. It looks the same as all the other ones did but the lady opens this one. So it  _ must _ be different. I peek in past her and it’s… empty? She starts to walk forward into the room, forcing me to follow. Oh. I guess we're going in this one now. Walking in, the floor is cold and it’s… is it  _ wet _ ? When we reach the middle of the room the lady lets go of me and starts walking back towards the door. I want to follow her back to the door but I think I'm supposed to stay right here. Looking back to where we came from, I see her stop at a knob right next to the door. She turns it and it squeaks and suddenly it's raining. I'm surprised by the shock of cold water and I look up high above me and see what looks like a giant shower head raining water from the ceiling. Am I in a shower? Shifting my stance, I feel a divot with my toes. Looking down I see a drain. And now I'm shivering. It's so cold. I’m soaking wet and I don’t know if I’m supposed to just stand here or if I’m being punished. 

"Stop whining. It should warm up in a few minutes." The lady yelled to me. I guess I’m supposed to stay here then?

I continue to stand there holding myself waiting for the water to get warmer. I watch as the murky water rolls down my legs in little streams and then puddles on the floor, my eyes following it until it circles down the drain. After a while, I get tired of standing and squat down with my knees to my chest. Soon, the water does get warm and pulling on my toes I realized the nails have become soft. My nails are long and sometimes I scratch myself by accident. Focusing on one of my pinkie toes, I dig my fingernail into the where the white part of the nail meets the skin. The nail tears, softened from the warm water, and I’m able to pull off the white part so that it looks like I cut my nail. Except it’s still rough. Oh well. I keep doing this with each to daydreaming about everything and nothing until I run out of toes and move on to my fingers, digging out the dirt stuck the nails while I’m at it. By the time I finish those too the water is running clear and it seems like the lady has decided that I’ve had enough watering. The shower stops with another squeak and she comes over to me holding a towel. Where did she get that? She throws it on me and just says, “Dry yourself.” 

Rude, but okay. I scrub my hair with the towel until it's not dripping anymore but once I start to rub it on my arm I see that my clothes are soaked and are just making the towel super wet too. This isn’t working. They need to dry off first. I peel off my top and just as I’m about to move on to my bottoms the lady stops me. 

“Don’t.” 

I look up at her and then look down at my shorts, still dripping water on the ground. I look back at her, confused. I thought she wanted me to get dry? She looks at me angrily but then I guess she changes her mind because she just sighs out, “Right. They’re wet… Just. cover yourself with the towel.”

Then she turns around at mumbles, “Why are they having  _ me _ do this. I don’t know how to deal with kids.”

Well I don’t know how to deal with adults. Whatever. I chuck my shorts and wrap the towel myself like a cape, closing it in front by holding the top corners together under my chin.

The lady turns back around and looks at me with a judgy look on her face. “I suppose clothes will have to be next… All right, come on.”


End file.
